Wire hat-frame.



c. W. STEVENS.

WIRE H AT FRAME. ArPLmATIoN H'LBD ooT. 16, 1907.

-9O,129.* Patented 0t.6,19o8.

Fz 5r] *'-onAELEsw sTEvENs, 0E NEW YORK,v N- Y- wIRE :HAT-Erminia.`

`Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed October 16, 1907. Y Serial No. 397,600.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Hat-Frames, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to im rovements in wire hat frames, and particulaly to fastening devices therefor, the object being to provide a 'simple and effective fastening which is very compact and will not cause the hat material, which is always applied to said frames, to bulge or protrude.

Another object is to prevent the exposing of any sharp points or projections `upon which the hat material vmay catchfand tear or which may lacerate the fingers of the operator who trims or fastens the material upon the frame.

In the drawings, Figure "1 is a side elevation of a wire hat frame offone of the many designs that may be employed', Fig. 2is a relatively enlarged detall of construction,v

illustrating the fastening `device'ln perspective, prior to its being lsecured in place Fig. '3 is a similar view butV showing the fastener in its final position; and Fig.- 4 is a plan view' of the arts as shown in Fig. 3-` i In t e manufacture of certain kinds of hats for women itis customary to build upa skeleton frame of wireof suitableform, upon which the material is placed, and to which it is secured inproper manner. The hat frame itself may be made of any suitable design, with wires crossing each otherV at many points. Heretoforeit has been customary to unite two wires which cross each other in this manner by means of a wire loop, the ends of `which have been twisted'together. Great care has to be exercised to bend,A down `the twisted portion of the wire connecting the loo s, or else theV ends thereof will project-to. Y

suc an extent as to endanger tearing the fabric with which the frame is tofbe covered, or cause an unsightly bulging thereof. ,An-v other method is to bend or turn the crossed or radiating wires around p the wires extendlng around the hat in such a way asjto form aV loop, but this requires great care and anexpert operator, beyondv being, a slow process.

It is my purpose to provide a fastening at these points where the wires of the frame cross, which fastening shall not only be very secure, but the ends are always caused to lie close to the frame itself to avoid all bulging and to prevent tearing the fabric.

The fastening roper, in its original form, is substantially 'ke a staple, such as indicated vat 1 (Fig. 2). At such points, in the skeleton frame, as it is desired to connect the wires, these staples are placed diagonally over two crossed wires. The extremities are then curled in opposite directions under the underlying wire, while the arch of the staple draws down and forms a clamp that firmly holds the overlying wire in tight contact with said underlying wire. The staples may be formed in any suitable manner and may be kcurled by any suitable device, so long as they curlfin opposite directions to produce a zigzag appearance when viewed in plan.

2-2 represent various wires which goy to form the skeleton hat frame and, as will be seen 1n Fig. 1, some of these wires radiatey from the crown to the edge of the brim, while others extend around the brim. At

.all points in the crown and brim where two wires cross each other my improved fastening device may be used with great profit. f

The `ends ofthe wires are not twisted togetherin any event, but are respectively located at opposite sides of the arch of the staple and below the crown thereof. By referring to Figs. 3 and 4, itwill be seen that absolutely no part of the fastening is exposed in such a manner as to catch the material or lacerate the finger of the operator in` covering or handling the frame. Furthermore, the. interlocking devices, by reason of their special construction, clamp down so tightly and lie so snug as t0 produce asubstantially iiat surface for all intents and purposes.

l. Ina wire hat frame, wires crossing oneV another, a fastening device for said wires, said `fastening devicel being U-shaped and overstanding two crossed wires diagonally, thefree ends of said fastening device being curled in opposite directions under the lower wire and forming a clamp over the upper wire. l

2. In a wire hat frame, a skeleton bod)T site directions to forni a clamp around the formed of 'wires crossing one another, a fasl two crossed wires from the opposite sides of tening device for the junction of two wires, the lower wire. said fastening device overstanding the two CHARLES W. STEVENS.

5 crossed wires diagonally and extending down Witnesses:

on opposite sides thereof, the free ends of CHAs. A. PEARD, said fastening device being curled in oppo- LANGDON MOORE. 

